Extra Board
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November 29, 2017
Alco Models 1967 Wish Book
This year marks the 50th anniversary of another great wish book that brass importer Alco Models launched in late 1967. The company is familiar to many seasoned modelers. Alco Models was a mainstay in the hobby for a number of years, peaking in the late 1960s and continuing into the 1980s.
August 1, 2017
Mighty-Mite: Plymouth CR-4 Diesel from TYCO/Mantua
Plymouth Locomotive Works’ CR-4 diesel-hydraulic locomotive of the 1960s, and the HO-scale model of it made by TYCO/Mantua, have been a topic of interest to collectors for many years.
July 11, 2017
Athearn Blue Box Era Timeline
The purpose and goal of this HO Collector presentation is to provide a chronological listing of HO-scale diesel locomotive models produced by Athearn during the company’s “Blue Box” era. Consider this to be an introduction or general survey of those well-known Athearn models and not an in-depth examination of any particular one.
May 31, 2017
Unusual All-Door Boxcars: Pullman-Standard Prototypes
The all-door concept for boxcars had the goal of taking this common freight car type and opening up its sides to provide the easier access of a flatcar. The design intent was to combine the better freight handling offered by flatcars with the protection provided by a boxcar. Evaluation and ultimate adoption of the prototypes appears to favor the lumber industry, though the cars were promoted as ideal for a variety of uses when unveiled in the 1960s.
May 10, 2017
Krauss-Maffei ML-4000 Diesel-Hydraulic
For the budding model railroader of the 1970s, the AHM (Associated Hobby Manufacturers) production line was a staple. While each of us may have a particular favorite, AHM’s Krauss Maffei (K-M) ML-4000 diesel-hydraulic locomotive certainly resides near the top of the list for many a seasoned hobbyist.
April 25, 2017
TYCO Preprods
Ever daydream about the mayhem and creativity you’d unleash, if given the keys to a factory’s resources and R&D department for a day? The answers, such as they are, may be found in the true rarities of HO collecting: factory prototypes, pre-production samples, and one-off proposals. The challenge lies in authenticating such examples, if at all possible.
January 13, 2017
Bachmann’s Action Caboose
Operating accessories add to the fun of model railroading. Examples exist in every popular hobby scale. The HO market enjoyed a boom in this segment during the 1970s. Among the prolific producers of these items was Bachmann Trains.
December 20, 2016
Pacific Fast Mail’s Pioneering SD45 in Brass
Pacific Fast Mail was the biggest name in model railroad brass imports from the 1950s into the 1980s. While the majority of PFM’s brass releases were HO-scale steam locomotive replicas, the line included a number of diesel locomotives over the years.
November 22, 2016
The 1966 World of TYCO
Wishing for a train set for Christmas is a well-remembered investment of a young model railroader’s time. What could have appeared under your tree 50 years ago?
November 7, 2016
Lost and Found Treasures Along the Lindberg Line
Introduced in the early 1960s, The Lindberg Line of HO-scale model trains is a modest group of releases (and non-releases) that nonetheless forged an interesting legacy in the hobby that continue to resonate today.
